USA: Janette Sadik-Khan: Making a Sustainable City

The New York City Department of Transportation commissioner has been credited with transforming the car-clogged street of the city by installing bicycle lanes, pedestrian plazas, and select bus lanes.
Interview by Alanna Malone

Janette Sadik-Khan has served as the commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation since her appointment by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007. During her tenure, Sadik-Khan has overseen the creation of hundreds of miles of bike lanes, the installation of 18 pedestrian plazas, and the rehabilitation of 26 bridges. Her next venture is New York City’s bike-share program.
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GREENSOURCE: How will the New York City bike-share program work?

JANETTE SADIK-KHAN: Citi Bike will be the largest bike-share operation in the Northern Hemisphere—with 10,000 bikes and 600 stations—and is completely funded by the private sector. About 10,000 New Yorkers submitted suggestions for station locations, and all of the stations will be solar-powered and wireless.

How does the program fit into the city’s existing transportation infrastructure?

It really builds on the bones of the city’s extensive transit system. A third of New Yorkers get around by walking, a third get around by transit, and a third get around by driving. Most of the trips in the city are less than two miles, so it’ll be a great new option for people to literally tap and go. The city’s varied transportation offerings are one of its strongest economic assets. A study showed that New Yorkers save $19 billion per year because of the city’s density and its public-transit system; $16 billion of that money stays in the local economy because people don’t spend money on cars, gas, etc.

The start date of the program, originally slated for this summer, has been pushed back to spring 2013. Can you discuss the holdup?

There have been issues with the software that have delayed the launch. But we are committed to rolling out a system that works correctly from day one.
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